Annalisa Pappano

[cool classic]

If the words lirone, pardessus and viola da gamba make you quivery, you already consider Annalisa Pappano the coolest number in the Classical rolodex. As artistic director of the eclectic and perpetually cool Catacoustic Consort, she’s charged with assembling world class players of ancient, rare and obscure instruments (as well as the instruments themselves in many cases; she plays the three mentioned above with award winning grace and skill).

Considering that Pappano’s duties entail elements of archaeology, history and conducting, she’s rather a blend of Indiana Jones and Leonard Bernstein. Now how cool is that?

Q: What’s the coolest thing about you? Pappano: Well, I don’t know that I am all that cool.

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I am a very happy person, though. I endeavor to live a passionate life and take chances that contribute to that. It’s so easy to get caught up in the mundane and to live life like a zombie. I want a life with meaning, where I feel awake.

Q: What cool things are you able to do with the Catacoustic Consort that other Classical groups might not achieve?Pappano: I bring in fabulous performers from around the world. We spend one week together prior to the concert. They stay with me and with neighbors. We truly live together for the entire time — bonding over meals, rehearsals and late-night movies even. Playing music this way, in circumstances that I can control to set the tone for a positive and loving environment, turns colleagues into friends and into family.

Q: Who’s the coolest person you know? Pappano: My friends, Tina and Larry in Northside, are pretty cool. They really know how to live. They take advantage of so many things that life could offer. They have cool businesses and interests that range from astronomy, music performance, musical instrument build ng, photography, tango, scuba and international travel along with a wonderful family life. What more could a person want?

PHOTO BY OLIVER DEBIKEY

More information about the CATACOUSTIC CONSORT is available at www.catacousitic.com